Libby Znaimer is joined by Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Daniel Safayeni, VP of Policy at Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Larry Isaacs, President, The Firkin Group of Pubs and Alida Solomon, Chef and Owner of Tutti Matti. In the news: the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), which replaced last year's Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), is going to be ending on Oct. 23 as will a suite of other pandemic recovery assistance programs. So, what does it all mean for residents and businesses? ---- MORE PEDESTRIAN CASUALTIES ON TORONTO ROADS THIS WEEK Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park) alongside pedestrian safety advocate Albert Koehl and Teresa Di Felice, Assistant Vice President, Government and Community Relations for CAA South Central Ontario. Toronto has seen a wave of deadly pedestrian road accidents as of late. And, the CAA conducted a recent study on vulnerable road users. So, what should drivers and pedestrians be doing to stay safe on our roads?And, we debate whether it boils down to driver behaviour or city road design. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Fight Back with Libby Znaimer

CRB and Other Benefit Programs Coming to an End and Road Safety in Toronto

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a Toronto-based family physician and founder of PrimeHealth Clinical Research as well as John Papastergiou, a pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart. This week, Health Minister Christine Elliott outlined Ontario's flu shot campaign. The province purchased as many as 7.6 million flu shot doses (over a million more compared to last year) at a price tag of $90-million. High-risk groups are being prioritized. That includes: long-term care residents and hospital patients as well as Seniors and immunocompromised adults who are most at risk of the flu. The supply will become available to all Ontarians in November. Our guests weigh in on the amount of supply they received so far vs how much they ordered, and the availability of high-dose flu shots at both doctors' offices and pharmacies. They also answer your questions on the flu shot. ---- FOOD ALLERGIES ON THE RISE IN CANADA: REPOR? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, Dr. Harold Kim, associate professor and Chair/Chief Division of Clinical Immunology & Allergy at Western University as well as Jennifer Gerdts, Executive Director of Food Allergy Canada. Food allergies are on the rise among Canadians. According to a report by Dalhousie Universit?s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, between 2.5 and 3.1 million of us have at least one food allergy. But, what exactly is the cause behind this increase? Also what are food allergies vs. intolerance to certain foods? Our panel of food and allergy experts weigh in on the latest findings, the need for companies in the food industry to provide more accurate ingredients labels and answer your questions. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Food Season & Food Allergies

Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village, John Capobianco, Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard HighRoad, and Charles Bird, Liberal Strategist and Managing Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group in Toronto. In the news: Ontario's opposition leaders are calling on Premier Doug Ford to apologize for comments he made the other day about immigrants in the workforce in which he said, "If you think you're coming to collect the dole and sit around, i?s not going to happen? Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a meeting with Tk'eml?ps te Secwepemc First Nation after he initially was supposed to visit there but instead went on a family trip to Tofino, BC. The Chief described the visit as "bittersweet". Our strategists weigh in on the latest. ---- ONTARIO VET CLINICS PLAGUED BY LONG WAIT TIMES AND BACKLOGS Libby Znaimer is joined by Leanne Wright, Senior Vice President of Communications at ZoomerMedia alongside Dr. Albert Wimmers past president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association and a practicing veterinarian at Limestone Valley Animal Hospital as well as Dr. Enid Stiles, immediate past President of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Today, we take a closer look at just how much pressure COVID-19 has put on veterinary clinics in Ontario. Our vet specialists detail the mounting backlogs and wait times. And, our very own Leanne explains the difficulty she personally had with trying to book an appointment for her cat and her recent experience of waiting outside at the vet emerg for 6 hours until 2:30am! Also, we ask: did the boom in pandemic pooches and other pets put any kind of strain on the animal healthcare system? Finally, earlier this month, the province announced its commitment to create "greater access to veterinarians by developing a?one-healt? approach to veterinary facilities that will benefit farmers, the agri-food sector and the general public." How helpful will this be? Our guests weigh in on the latest. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Doug Ford's Immigration Comments & Vet Clinic Wait Times

Libby Znaimer is joined by David Cravit, Vice President of Zoomer Media and Chief Membership Officer at CARP, Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine and Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP. On today's agenda: The COVID-19 pandemic has left most Canadians feeling concerned about the financial security and well-being of their families today and in the future. The level of worry is particularly acute for Canadians close to retiring or in early retirement. A new report released by the National Institute on Ageing (NIA), called Canadian Perspectives on the Financial Realities of Ageing in Place, shows that 75% of adults say the pandemic has made them more concerned about their famil?s financial security and well-being. Together, Libby and the Zoomer Squad unpack this concerning issue, and more. -- U.S. PANEL PROVIDES NEW GUIDANCE ON DAILY ASPIRIN FOR ADULTS Adults at high risk for cardiovascular disease may face serious side effects if they start a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin. Doctors should no longer routinely start most people who are at high risk of heart disease on a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin, according to new draft guidelines by a U.S. panel of experts. Libby Znaimer is joined by...Dr. Chi-Ming Chow, attending staff cardiologist at St. Michae?s Hospital and a full professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; and Dr. Mike Farkouh, Cardiologist and Peter Munk Chair in Multinational Clinical Trials (UHN).

OCT. 18 2021? BOOSTER SHOTS, AGEING IN PLACE, AND NEW GUIDANCE ON DAILY ASPIRIN FOR ADULTS

The Sunday edition of the Best Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown Interviews with: - Dan McTeague on the shocking rise of gas prices - Terence Kernaghan, the NDP Consumer Protection critic, on the rising costs of auto insurance - Dr. Baher Abdul-hye, Tyrenny Anderson, and Police Constable Sean Shapiro on deadly driving in the city - Martin Firestone, Richard Smart, and Dr. Frederic Dimanche on the US land border opening to non-essential travel - And the best calls of the week!

The Best of Fight Back - Week of October 11 2021 - Sunday Edition

The Saturday edition of the Best Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown Interviews with: - The Zoomer Squad with Peter Muggeridge, David Cravit, and Bill VanGorder discuss CARP's meeting with Long Term Care Minister Rod Phillips - Dr. Iris Gorfinkel and Dr. Mare Kreeger on sleep deprivation and "Corona-somnia" - The Strategy Panel with John Capobinaco, Bob Richardson, and Karen Stintz look ahead to the provincial election in eight months - Celina Blanchard, Larry Isaacs, and Tony Elenis react to the province's decision not to open up capacity for restaurants - And the best calls of the week!

The Best of Fight Back - Week of October 11 2021 - Saturday Edition

Today on Free For All Friday: The Canada-U.S. land border will be reopening on Nov. 8. Meanwhile, the province is planning to move out of stage 3 of reopening as early as next week, and Ontarians can now start downloading QR codes for COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination based on their month of birth. Also, listeners called in to talk about the difficulty of getting eye care as Ontario optometrists have withdrawn OHIP-related services. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Free For All Friday

Libby Znaimer is joined by Martin Firestone, President of Travel Secure Inc., Richard Smart, CEO and Registrar of Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) and Dr. Frederic Dimanche, Director, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In the news: the U.S.-Canada land border is set to reopen to non-essential travellers who are fully vaccinated by sometime in early November. What does that mean for you if you are a Snowbird or plan on vacationing in the winter months? Our guests weigh in. --- PROVINCE CALLING ON FAMILY DOCTORS TO CUT BACK ON VIRTUAL CARE AND TAKE ON MORE IN-PERSON VISIT? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Peter J?ni, Scientific Director of the province's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table followed by Dr. Adam Kassam, President of the Ontario Medical Association, and then Dr. Anna Holland, Family physician at Prince Edward Medical alongside Dr. Jason Profetto, family physician at Profetto Savatteri Family Medicine in Hamilton. In the news: The Ford government is considering plans to exit stage 3 of the "Roadmap to Reopening" and lift additional pandemic restrictions as early as next week. Meanwhile, Health officials for the province are calling on family physicians to cut back on virtual patient care and take on more in-person visits citing a health-care system that isn't as burdened as it was earlier on in the pandemic. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

U.S.-Canada Land Border to Reopen & Family Doctor Care

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy. Gas prices in Ontario have gone up. Dan explains why and forecasts how much you'll likely have to pay at the pumps for the next while. ---- AUTO INSURANCE?PRICE GOUGIN? IN ONTARI? Libby Znaimer is joined by Terence Kernaghan, the NDP Consumer Protection critic. The Ontario NDP is criticizing auto-insurance companies of price gouging. Terence explains. --- TORONTO HAS A TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND ROAD SAFETY PROBLEM Libby Znaimer is joined by Tyrenny Anderson, Co-Founder of Safe Parkside, Police Constable Sean Shapiro with Toronto Police Traffic Safety Programs an? Dr. Baher Abdulhai, a professor at the University of Toronto and the Director of Toronto Intelligent Transportation Systems Centre and Testbed. In the news: Parkside Dr. in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood of Toronto was the scene of a deadly traffic accident yesterday afternoon. A 38-year-old man was speeding in his car going Southbound when he hit another vehicle that then sparked a chain reaction of vehicle collisions. Two Seniors, a 69-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man, died as a result of the accident. Several others were injured. The 38-year-old was sent to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A resident of the neighbourhood reacts to residents' concerns, while Constable Shapiro details the kind of measures being enforced to try to get drivers to slow down and obey road laws. Meanwhile, Dr. Abdulhai details the City's problem with road congestion and what can be done to reduce it and enhance traffic safety. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

High Gas And Auto Insurance Prices and Road Safety in Toronto

Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village, John Capobianco, Senior Vice President & Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard HighRoad, and Charles Sousa? the former Minister of Finance for Ontario and Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga South. With the 44th federal election now a thing of the past, it appears a provincial election campaign is now upon us as both the NDP and Doug Ford PCs launch ad campaigns. Meanwhile, schools continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Lately, Toronto Public Health had to shut down a high school in Etobicoke that had an outbreak. And, the TTC is now grappling with the threat of low ridership and the potential to have to bring back retired workers should its vaccine deadline spark a labour shortage. Meanwhile, along with a host of other funding commitments to long-term care, Minister Phillips today announced funding for a long-term care home in Vaughan. The strategy panel weighs in on the latest. ---- RESTAURANTS FEEL LET DOWN BY THE PROVINCE Libby Znaimer is joined by Larry Isaacs, President of The Firkin Group of Pubs, Tony Elenis, President and CEO of The Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) and Ryan Mallough? Senior Director of Provincial Affairs for Ontario with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). The restaurant community is angry that they cannot resume operating at full capacity while the province has decided to lift capacity limits for venues like cinemas and sports arenas as of Oct. 9. Our panel of restaurant industry guests react to the latest. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Restaurants Feel Let Down by Province

Libby Znaimer is joined by David Cravit, Vice President of Zoomer Media and Chief Membership Officer at CARP, Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine and Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP. This is the first time Libby chats with the Zoomer Squad since Ontario LTC Minister made all of those promises to improve the long-neglected sector last week. One of those pledges included providing $270-million dollars in funding towards hiring 4,000 LTC staff by the end of the fiscal year. This commitment is part of the longer-term goal of providing nursing home residents with an average of 4 hours of care per day by the year 2025-a commitment that the province wants to enshrine in the Ontario Long-Term Care Act. And, last week, Minister Phillips announced that the province is mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all LTC staff with a deadline for Nov. 15. Also, Phillips didn't only talk to Libby last week, he also spoke to Bill over at CARP. What did they discuss? Tune in to hear the latest. --- SLEEP IS IMPORTANT: HER?S HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, Toronto-based family physician and Founder of PrimeHealth Clinical Research alongside Dr. Meir Kryger, author of "Mystery of Sleep" and Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary) and Clinical Professor of Nursing at Yale University. Sufficient sleep is critical for both our mental and physical health. But, just how much sleep exactly do we need? And, how might stressors like the pandemic impact our sleeping patterns? Today, Libby and guests talk all about sleep health and answer listener questions about it. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Rod Phillips' LTC Promises & Tips for Improving Your Sleep Health

The Sunday edition of the Best Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown Interviews with: - Rod Phillips helps break down the funding announcement for Long Term Care in Ontario - Donna Duncan, Sharleen Stewart, and Samantha Peck react to Rod Phillips' announcement on LTC funding - Dr. Alisa Naiman and Dr. Timothy Sly go over the rules for celebrating a safe Thanksgiving - Rose Reisman and Lucy Waverman offer up some Thanksgiving food inspiration - And the best calls of the week!

The Best of Fight Back - Week of October 04 2021 - Sunday Edition

The Saturday edition of the Best Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown Interviews with: - The Zoomer Squad with Peter Muggeridge, David Cravit, and Bill VanGorder discuss Ford's LTC promises - Steven Del Duca, Mike Schriener, and John Mykytyshyn react to the provincial throne speech - The Strategy Panel with John Capobinaco, Bob Richardson, and Karen Stintz debate Trudeau's choice to go on holidays during the first National Day of Truth & Reconciliation - Dr. Peter Juni on Ontario's announcement of rapid testing for some schools - And the best calls of the week!

The Best of Fight Back - Week of October 04 2021 - Saturday Edition

What do you think about all of these mandatory vaccine mandates at workplaces? Libby expects that question will get the phones ringing today. This week, the prime minister announced his promised plan to make COVID vaccination mandatory for federal employees along with travelers on planes and trains, and eventually cruise ships. Here in Ontario, administrators in 2 separate hospitals-one in Kitchener one in Windsor- are following through on suspending or firing employees who failed to get double vaccinated by set deadlines. What do you think about all of this? Should employees who refuse to get vaccinated be fired? Is this no-nonsense approach the only way to get the holdouts to finally get their shots? Speaking of the prime minister, he acknowledged this week that he regrets a decision to spend the first Truth and Reconciliation Day vacationing with family rather than attending an Indigenous-led event. Has Justin Trudeau made one too many apologies? Can he overcome this latest misstep? It certainly makes you wonder about his personal judgment. Whatever in the news has you talking, grab a phone line during the noon news and join Libby for Free For All Friday.

OCTOBER 8 2021-FREE FOR ALL FRIDAY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care Rod Phillips (Ajax) followed by, Sharleen Stewart, President of SEIU Healthcare, Donna Duncan, CEO of Ontario Long-Term Care Association, NDP MPP France Gelinas (Nickel-Belt) and health critic and Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Yesterday, Minister Phillips announced that the province is providing $270-million dollars in funding towards hiring 4,000 LTC staff by the end of the fiscal year. This commitment is part of the longer-term goal of providing nursing home residents with an average of 4 hours of care per day by the year 2025. The province wants to add four hours of care in the Ontario Long-Term Care Act. The money announced yesterday will bring the average direct care for each resident up to 3 hours per day by March 2022. At least, that is the plan. And, last week, Minister Phillips announced that the province is mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all LTC staff with a deadline for Nov. 15. Phillips details the reforms he's been working on since he took over the LTC file four months ago?So, what more does the minister of this file have to say? And, we hear reaction to his promises.? ---- DAILY BREAD FOOD BANK THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE & TORONTO FOUNDATION REPORT Libby Znaimer is joined by Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank and Sharon Avery, President and CEO of the Toronto Foundation? Last time Neil was on, he explained to us how the pandemic has exacerbated the issue of food insecurity in Toronto. In the past 6 months, the food bank saw a 67-percent increase in usage compared to before the pandemic. On October 9, Daily Bread is launching a Thanksgiving Drive-Thru Food Drive between 10 am and 3 pm where you can drop off non-perishable goods in a contactless way at its warehouse in Etobicoke. The goal is to raise 30,000 lbs of food for residents in need? Meanwhile, the Toronto Foundation just released its 2021 Vital Signs Report that reveals that it is getting more difficult for many residents to make ends meet in the City. Sharon breaks down the report findings in greater detail? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

LTC Minister Rod Phillips Joins Fight Back

Fight Back with Libby Znaimer is a live, current affairs, call-in talk show airing daily on Zoomer Radio (AM740 and FM96.7 between 12 pm and 1 pm EST). Have your say about the headlines that have you talking and get trusted, expert advice on your health, wellness and finances. Call into the show: (416) 360-0740 or 1 (866) 740-4740 or email us at fightback@zoomer.ca. You can also follow us on Twitter at @fightbacklibby.

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Fight Back with Libby Znaimer

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